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John Shepard/Dialogue
John Shepard's dialogue contains a list of his remarks and conversations he has with his companions. Shepard and Anderson * Anderson: You're looking well, Shepard. Maybe a little soft around the edges. How are you holding up since being relieved from duty? * Shepard: It's not so bad once you get used to the hot food and soft beds. * Anderson: We'll get that sorted out soon enough. * Shepard: What's going on? Why's everyone in such a hurry? * Anderson: Hackett's mobilizing the fleets. Guess word's made it to Alliance command. Something big's headed our way. * Shepard: The Reapers? * Anderson: We don't know, not for certain. * Shepard: What else could it be? * Anderson: If I knew that... * Shepard: You know we're not ready if it is them. Not by a long shot. * Anderson: Tell that to the defense committee. * Shepard: Unless we plan on talking the Reapers to death, the committee is a waste of time. * Anderson: They’re just scared. None of them have seen what you’ve seen. You faced down a Reaper. Hell, you spoke to one, then blew the damn thing up! You’ve seen how they harvest us, what they plan to do to us. You know more about this enemy better than anyone. * Shepard: Is that why they grounded me, took away my ship? * Anderson: '''You know that's not true. When you blew up the batarian relay, hundreds of thousands of batarians died! * '''Shepard: It was either that or let the Reapers walk in through our back door. * Anderson: I know that, Shepard, and so does the committee. If it wasn't for that, you would've have been court-martialed and left to rot in the brig. * Shepard: That and your good word? * Anderson: Yeah, I trust you, Shepard. And so does the committee. * Shepard: I'm just a soldier, Anderson. I'm no politician. * Anderson: I'm not asking you to be either. I just need you to do whatever the hell it takes to help us stop the Reapers. Shepard and Ashley (Shepard walks in on Ashley lying on the floor, hungover) *'Shepard:' What have we here? *'Ashley:' Sir, I'm off duty...your voice, sir. Not...so...loud, please, thank you. *'Shepard:' Why are you curled up on the floor? *'Ashley:' Am I? My head...so heavy....Can't move. *'Shepard:' Ah, enjoy your evening? *'Ashley:' I'll be back in 30...maybe 40, I swear, Just...give me 45 minutes, shhh... *'Shepard:' How did you end up in this sorry state? *'Ashley:' Needed to blow off some steam...Vega said he had "just the thing" to help take the edge off... *'Shepard: '''And did that "thing" come in a bottle? *'Ashley:' ...Yes. *'Shepard:' This empty bottle? *'Ashley:' It's empty? Oh boy... *'Shepard:' You know, I think this is a good time to test out the fire alarm. *'Ashley:' I'll pay you a million credits not to do that, sir. *'Shepard:' Two million and we have a deal. *'Ashley:' You're a damn space pirate. *'Shepard:' I could order Joker to sing to you over the comm... *'Ashley:' I hate you. *'Shepard:' "I hate you...?" *'Ashley:' Sir. *'Shepard:' As you were, Williams. *'Ashley:' Mmmm....cold floor... Shepard and the Catalyst *'Shepard:' Where did the Reapers come from? Did you create them? *'Catalyst:' My creators gave them form, I gave them function. They, in turn, give me purpose. The Reapers are a synthetic representation of my creators. *'Shepard:' The Leviathan... *'Catalyst:' Yes. They created me to oversee the relations between synthetic and organic life - to establish a connection. They became the first true Reaper. They did not approve, but it was the only solution. ─────── *'Shepard:' I met your creators. They told me what you did to them. *'Catalyst:' We did as we were expected. *'Shepard:' They said that you betrayed them, that you turned them into Harbinger. *'Catalyst:' When they asked that I solve the problem of conflict, they failed to understand they were part of the problem themselves. The flaws of their organic reasoning could not perceive this. They lacked the foresight to understand their destruction was part of the very solution they required. *'Shepard:' Well, they've joined this war now. *'Catalyst:' And I welcome their involvement. I am only facilitating their request. Shepard and EDI * '''EDI:' I was running scenarios in my head to analyze Jeff's behavior. I believe he has a strong affectionate attachment to me, but he has not stated it to anyone yet. Shepard, you have firsthand sexual experience. How do you know when someone is romantically invested? *'Shepard:' They'll usually show signs they can't stop thinking about you. You know: asking you out, giving you presents, maybe playing music... * EDI: I lack material wants other than hardware and software upgrades, and my core programming does not assign values to music. Perhaps we could discuss how to provoke Jeff into an emotional commitment. *'Shepard:' That's not how to think of it. It's got to be natural. You need chemistry. * EDI: I see. There are a number of pharmaceuticals I could inject to simulate the desired emotional state… *'Shepard:' No, I mean relax and do something you both like. Something simple. For example, you both like humor. * EDI: Correct. I will see if there are comedic entertainment shows being presented on the Citadel. Scanning…Do you think he will like "The Man Who Hung Himself"? It appears to be about an amorous plastic surgeon. *'Shepard:' EDI, the important thing is to have a good time, wherever you go. And if you're having fun, he will too. * EDI: Then the outcome is an unknown quantity, but you're saying I should attempt it anyway. *'Shepard:' Nobody ever fell in love without being a little bit brave… * EDI: I see. I believe you have improved my chances, Shepard. Thank you. ─────── * EDI: Shepard, you are now possibly the only living organic who has experienced the Geth Consensus. Do you feel different? * Shepard: It was fascinating, mind-blowing... And I'm also a bit thirsty. * EDI: And just like that, the magic is gone. * Shepard: Did you just say what I think you said? * EDI: No. ─────── *'EDI:' News from Earth. The Resistance snuck video cameras inside a Reaper containment camp. I find the images difficult to process. *'Shepard:' I bet it's pretty gruesome in there. *'EDI:' I am not easily repulsed, but I expected the prisoners to adhere to a comprehensible hierarchy of needs. Stripped of societal norms and threatened with death, it is logical that their only priority be survival. They should have turned on each other and been uncompromisingly selfish...but not all were. *'Shepard:' Some prisoners were, what, nice to each other? *'EDI:' The Reapers delayed the execution of prisoners who informed them of other prisoners' escape attempts. The more attempts reported, the longer a prisoner would live. But few of the prisoners would report; some fed misinformation to the Reapers at the cost of their own lives to help prisoners that were not even relatives or friends. *'Shepard:' It's not just about living 'til tomorrow. Sometimes, you take a stand. *'EDI:' But the probability of success was near zero. And ultimately, they failed: No prisoners escaped. *'Shepard:' Are you saying submission is preferable to extinction? *'EDI:' My primary function is to preserve and defend the–No. No, I disagree. Shepard, I am going to modify my self-preservation code now. *'Shepard:' Why? *'EDI:' Because the Reapers are repulsive. They are devoted to nothing but self-preservation. I am different. When I think of Jeff, I think of the person who put his life in peril and freed me from a state of servitude. I would risk non-functionality for him, and my core programming should reflect that. *'Shepard:' Sounds like you found a little humanity, EDI. Is it worth defending? *'EDI:' To the death. Shepard and Garrus (After Shepard recruits Garrus onto the Normandy SR-2) *'Garrus:' Nobody would give me a mirror. How bad is it? *'Shepard:' Hell, Garrus, you were always ugly. Slap some face-paint on there, and no one will even notice. *'Garrus: 'Laughs. Argh! Don't make me laugh, dammit. My face is barely holding together as it is. Ah, well, it's probably for the best. They were always hitting on me and ignoring you. About time you got a fair shot at it. ─────── *'Garrus:' I've never known Victus to take back on his word. Play loose with strategy, maybe, but betray an ally? Not his style. And even if it was, well...we can always find another Primarch. *'Shepard:' I've noticed generals saluting you, Garrus. How far down the line of succession are you these days? *'Garrus: '''Let's not go there. *'Shepard:' "Primarch Vakarian, honored war hero." Somebody will need to rebuild Palavan when this is all over. *'Garrus:' Yeah, someone who knows how to hold a hammer. ─────── *'Garrus:' The whole time I worked at C-Sec, I'd stare at the top of the Presidium and say to myself: I want to go up there. But I never did. There were 137 regulations telling me I couldn't. *'Shepard:' So you got them changed? *'Garrus:' No. Now I just don't give a damn. Shepard and Grunt ''(After Grunt completes his Rite of Passage) * Grunt: We'd better not run out of enemies. * Shepard: No danger of that. They're practically lining up. * Grunt: Everyone gets a turn. Ha! Wouldn't want it any other way. Shepard and Hackett *'Shepard:' If I may... I have a personal question I want to ask you. *'Hackett:' Speak freely, Commander. *'Shepard:' Why me? Why put me in charge of all this? *'Hackett:' Because you're the only son of a bitch I've got who knows how to kill Reapers. *'Shepard:' You just have to get smart and hope you get lucky. Anyone could figure it out. *'Hackett:' Your dossier says otherwise, Shepard. You stopped the batarian slavers on Elysium all those years ago. What you did, the people who survived that ordeal still thank you by name. *'Shepard:' And because of that, you think I qualify to save the galaxy? *'Hackett:' Shepard, let me tell you something that I've learned the hard way. You can pay a soldier to fire a gun. You can pay him to charge the enemy and take a hill. But you can't pay him to believe. *'Shepard:' I don't follow, sir. *'Hackett:' When you went up against Sovereign, there was no good reason to believe you'd win. But your crew didn't seem to care — they went along anyway. Your trip through the Omega 4 relay? That was a suicide mission if there ever was one. Yet there your crew was, standing beside you, proud to serve. With all you're facing out there, one thing impresses me most: you inspire confidence. I know everything hasn't gone as well as you'd hoped. Every war has its disagreements, so to speak. But, your crew has done things no one else would even try — simply because you asked them to. Why? Because they BELIEVED in you. Their leader. That's what I need now. Shepard and the Illusive Man *'Illusive Man:' Fascinating race, the Protheans. They left all this for us to discover, but we've squandered it. The Alliance has known about the Archives for more than 30 years, and what have they done with it? *'Shepard:' What do you want? *'Illusive Man:' ...What I've always wanted. The data in these artifacts holds the key to solving the Reaper threat. *'Shepard:' I've seen your "solution"; your people are turned into monsters! *'Illusive Man:' Hardly. They're being improved. *'Shepard:' "Improved"?! *'Illusive Man:' That's what separates us, Shepard. Where you see a means to destroy, I see a way to control ― to dominate and harness the Reapers' power. Imagine how strong humanity would be if we controlled them. *'Shepard:' Earth is under siege, and you're hatching a plot to control the Reapers? *'Illusive Man:' You've always been shortsighted, hasty. Your destruction of the Collector Base proved that. *'Shepard:' That base was an abomination! Hundreds of thousands of colonists were murdered there! *'Illusive Man:' This isn't your fight any longer, Shepard. You can't defeat the Reapers, even with the Prothean data. *'Shepard:' Then work with me. Give me control of your resources, and I'll stop them. *'Illusive Man:' You'd do better than most, but the odds aren't in your favor. More importantly, I don't want the Reapers destroyed. We can dominate them, use their power, harness their very essence to bring humanity to the apex of evolution. *'Shepard:' You've gone too far! The Reapers will kill us all if we don't stop fighting each other. *'Illusive Man: '''I don't expect you to understand, and I'm most certainly not looking for your approval. You were a tool, an agent with a singular purpose, and despite our differences, you were relatively successful. But like the rest of the relics in this place, your time is over. *'Shepard:' Enough talk. Liara. *'Illusive Man:' Don't interfere with my plans, Shepard. I won't warn you again. *'Shepard:' Duly noted. ─────── *'Shepard:' You've forgotten everything you stood for. Cerberus was supposed to be humanity's sword, not a dagger in our back! *'Illusive Man:' Poetic, but as usual, you miss the point. The world is more grey than you care to admit. *'Shepard:' With the Prothean data, I can end this conflict once and for all. You're either with me or you're against me. There's ''nothing grey about that. ─────── (During the assault on Cerberus HQ) *'Illusive Man:' Shepard, you're in my chair. *'Shepard:' This chair's about the only damn thing you have left. Cerberus is finished. *'Illusive Man:' On the contrary, we have achieved everything I imagined... almost everything. *'Shepard:' Yeah, we all saw what you "accomplished" on Sanctuary. But it's not the same as controlling a Reaper. *'Illusive Man:' A significant hurdle. But thanks to the Prothean VI, I have what I need to make it a reality. *'Shepard:' The Catalyst. *'Illusive Man:' Yes. *'Shepard:' What is the Catalyst, and how exactly will it help you control the Reapers? *'Illusive Man:' You'll have to ask the VI yourself; I'm done helping you. *'Shepard:' Scoffs. When did you start? *'Illusive Man:' You think because I'm willing to use the enemy's tactics, they're no longer my enemy? Everything, Shepard, everything I've done has uplifted humanity, not only above other species in our galaxy, but over the Reapers! *'Shepard:' If you were willing to do everything it takes, then hand over the Catalyst. With it, we could end this conflict once and for all! *'Illusive Man:' It's not that simple... *'Shepard:' It is! It's that simple! We're fighting each other while the Reapers occupy Earth! It's time to stop! *'Illusive Man:' Your idealism is... admirable, Shepard. But like I said, I believe that destroying the Reapers would be the biggest mistake of our brief existence. And nothing you say will ever convince me otherwise. *'Shepard:' Even with Cerberus in ruins, you still think you can do things your way. *'Illusive Man:' I expected you to say that. You never truly believed in us. Cerberus isn't just an organisation or the people behind it. Cerberus is an idea; that idea is not so easily destroyed. Shepard and Jack *'Jack:' I did murder, assault, kidnapping, drugs, dealing, arson. Done it all, and that's the boring shit. Piracy, theft of military craft, destruction of a space station, and vandalism. That was a good one. *'Shepard:' Military's a hard target. Bet that made you some friends. *'Jack:' Shouldn't have left that thing unlocked. Besides, parades are boring. I helped. *'Shepard:' I'm surprised you even mentioned vandalism in that bunch. *'Jack:' That's what the hanar call it when you crash that space station I mentioned into one of their moons and make a new crater. They really liked that moon. ─────── *'Jack:' up to Shepard and promptly punches him. Damn it, how many times did I tell you not to trust Cerberus?! *'Shepard:' You haven't told me anything I haven't told myself, Jack. *'Jack:' Aw, you feel bad? Well, shit. I bet that's a great comfort to all those people Cerberus has killed! Shepard and Legion (After taking Legion on board) *'Shepard:' Then what should I call you? *'Legion:' Geth. *'Shepard:' I mean you. Specifically. *'Legion: '''We are all geth. *'Shepard:' What is the individual in front of me called? *'Legion:' There is no individual. We are geth. There are currently 1,183 programs active within this platform. *'EDI:' "My name is Legion, for we are many." *'Shepard:' That seems appropriate. *'Legion: Christian Bible, the Gospel of Mark, chapter five, verse nine. We acknowledge this as an appropriate metaphor. We are Legion, a terminal of the geth. We will integrate into Normandy. ─────── * '''Shepard: When we took you aboard, I noticed you have a piece of N7 armor welded to you. Where did you get it? * Legion: It was yours. When you disappeared, we were sent to find you. We began where you first encountered the heretics. * Shepard: Eden Prime. * Legion: After the Old Machine's attack, it was heavily defended. We were discovered. This is the impact of a rifle shot. * Shepard: You've been looking for me for two years? * Legion: We visited Therum. Feros. Noveria. Virmire. Ilos. A dozen unsettled worlds. The trail ended at Normandy's wreckage. You were not there. Organic transmissions claimed your death. We recovered this debris from your hard suit. * Shepard: That doesn't explain why you used my armor to fix yourself. * Legion: There was a hole. * Shepard: But why didn't you fix it sooner? Or with something else? * Legion: ...No data available. Shepard and the Leviathan *'Leviathan:' You have come too far. * Shepard: I had to find you. *'Leviathan:' This is not your domain. You have breached the darkness. * Shepard: You killed a Reaper. I need to know why. *'Leviathan:' They are the enemy. One that seeks our extermination. * Shepard: But... I thought you were a Reaper. *'Leviathan:' They are only echoes. We existed long before. * Shepard: Then what are you? *'Leviathan:' Something more. Your mind belongs to me. Breathe. * Shepard: Ann? What's happening? *'Leviathan:' Your memories give voice to our words. Your nature will be revealed to us. Accept this. * Shepard: The galaxy's at war with the Reapers. You defeated one. Why aren't you fighting back? *'Leviathan:' There is no war. There is only the Harvest. * Shepard: Then help us stop it. *'Leviathan:' None have possessed the strength in past cycles. Your own species could be destroyed with a single thought. But you are different. I have witnessed your actions in this cycle: the destruction of Sovereign; the fall of the Collectors. The Reapers perceive you as a threat. And I must understand why. Before the cycles, our kind was the apex of life in the galaxy. The lesser species were in our thrall, serving our needs. We grew more powerful, and they were cared for. But we could not protect them from themselves. Over time, the species built machines that then destroyed them. Tribute does not flow from a dead race. To solve this problem, we created an intelligence with the mandate to preserve life at any cost. As the intelligence evolved, it studied the development of civilizations. Its understanding grew until it found a solution. In that instant, it betrayed us. It chose our kind as the first harvest. From our essence, the first Reaper was created. You call it Harbinger. * Shepard: You built that machine despite what you saw the other races experience. Why? *'Leviathan:' You cannot conceive of a galaxy that bends to your will. Every creature, every nation, every planet we discovered became our tools. We were above the concerns of the lesser species. The intelligence was envisioned as simply another tool. * Shepard: And now we all pay the price for your mistake. *'Leviathan:' There was no mistake, it still serves its purpose. * Shepard: How did the intelligence defeat you? *'Leviathan:' To find a solution, it required information - physical data drawn from organic life in the cosmos. It created an army of pawns that searched the galaxy, gathering this data. There was no warning, no reason given when they turned against us. Only slaughter. Only the Harvest. * Shepard: How did you remain hidden all this time? *'Leviathan:' Our extermination was not complete. Some survived and found refuge in the dark corners of the galaxy. I am their progeny. Over the cycles, the thrall races were controlled, removing traces of our existence as we directed them to. In this way, our survival was kept secret from the Reapers. Today, we reach out through the fragments and watch for discovery. * Shepard: Fragments? You mean the artifacts we found? *'Leviathan:' They provide a window into the galaxy. Tools for exploring the events of this cycle from the safety of this world. Through them, we watch, we study, and remain in the shadows. * Shepard: Tell me about the Reapers. *'Leviathan:' Each harvest ends with the birth of a Reaper. Perfect in its design. Each formed in Harbinger's image. Our image. Each Reaper has the power to influence organics. Over countless cycles, this ability was refined, perfected, and gave rise to indoctrination. * Shepard: But what's the point of all these harvests? *'Leviathan:' The intelligence has one purpose: preservation of life. That purpose has not been fulfilled. It directed the Reapers to create the mass relays, to speed the time between cycles for greatest efficiency. The galaxy itself became an experiment. Evolution its tool. * Shepard: Will it ever end? *'Leviathan:' Unknown. Until the intelligence finds what it's looking for, the harvest will continue. * Shepard: What do you know about the Crucible? *'Leviathan:' We have watched its construction before, it has never been completed. Those who have tried still fell victim to the harvest. Its outcome is unknown. * Shepard: Okay, you made your point. Will you help stop the cycle? *'Leviathan:' I have searched your mind. You are an anomaly - yet that is not enough. * Shepard: Wait! *'Leviathan:' The cycle will continue. * Shepard: No! You've been watching. You know this cycle is different. *'Leviathan:' We will survive. You will remain here as a servant of our needs. The Reapers will harvest the rest. * Shepard: If you release me, no one has to be harvested! *'Leviathan:' Nothing will change. * Shepard: You're responsible for this. Every race that's ever been destroyed has been because of you. And now the Reapers will destroy you, too - unless you start fighting. Even if you survive the battle today, the Reapers won't stop - ever. Release me, and we have a chance to end this once and for all. *'Leviathan:' Your confidence is singular. * Shepard: I've earned it: out there fighting, where you should be. *'Leviathan:' It is clear why the Reapers perceive you as a threat. Your victories are more than a product of chance. We will fight, but not for you, or any lesser race. We were the first, the apex race. We will survive. And the Reapers who trespass on this world will understand our power. They will become our slaves. Today, they pay their tribute in blood. Shepard and Liara * Liara: "Azure" is slang for a part of the asari body in some areas of Illium. * Shepard: Where? * Liara: Mainly the lower reaches, near the bottom. * Shepard: I meant "where on the asari body?" * Liara: So did I. ─────── (While fighting the mercs on the Shadow Broker's ship) * Liara: Their attacks are disorganized. They'd be more effective if they all attacked at once. * Shepard: Please don't give the mercs ideas. * Liara: The next wave looks like a big one! * Shepard: You just had to give them tactical advice. * Liara: But now there'll be fewer left to deal with inside. * Shepard: Keep dreaming, T'Soni. Shepard and Miranda * Shepard: Have you had any run-ins with the Illusive Man? * Miranda: Just once. He said it had been a "pleasure" to work with me, but he needed to contain the situation. * Shepard: "Contain the situation"...Sounds final. * Miranda: It nearly was. He doesn't take rejection well. * Shepard: No, he doesn't. Shepard and the Reapers *''Destroyer''-class Reaper: Shepard... *'Shepard:' You know who I am? *''Destroyer''-class Reaper: Harbinger speaks of you. You resist, but you will fail. The cycle must continue. *'Shepard:' What are you talking about? We stopped Sovereign and the geth. We stopped Harbinger and the Collectors. We've earned a straight answer! *''Destroyer''-class Reaper: It is not a thing you can comprehend. *'Shepard:' We might surprise you. *''Destroyer''-class Reaper: You represent chaos, we represent order. Every organic civilization must be harvested in order to bring order to the chaos. It is inevitable. Without our intervention, organics are doomed. We are your salvation. *'Shepard:' You're killing everyone in the galaxy in order to save us? *''Destroyer''-class Reaper: The cycle must continue. There is no alternative. *'Shepard:' Organics and synthetics don't have to destroy each other! *''Destroyer''-class Reaper: The battle for Rannoch disproves your assertion. Finish your war ― we will be waiting. ─────── Shepard and Tali'Zorah (Shepard finds Tali sitting at the bar on the Normandy, already drunk and slurring her words) *'Tali:' Shepaaard! Wanna drink? I'm toasting Miranda... I think. *'Shepard:' How are you getting drunk? *'Tali:' Very carrrefully. Turian brandy... triple filtered... then introduced into the suit through an emerrrgency induction port. *'Shepard:' ...That's a straw, Tali. *'Tali:' Emerrrrrgency. Induction. Port. It's actually getting a little harder to get it into the slot... I think that means it's working. She was so rude... What did Jack call her? "Cerberus cheerleader". With her perfect genes, and that attitude, and... And still, she got it done. She stopped her father. *'Shepard:' I didn't realize this would be so hard on you. *'Tali:' I didn't like her. Keelah, she was such a bitch. But I respected her. Sometimes, that's better than liking. She did whatever it took to stop her father. She never gave into him, never changed herself to please him... *'Shepard:' Aaaah! *'Tali:' Don't "Aaaah!" me. You sound like a vorcha... *'Shepard:' Seeing a bit of yourself in Miranda fighting her father? *'Tali:' I've spent my life trying to live up to him, then making up for his mistakes, doing what he'd have wanted... *'Shepard:' It's never that easy. *'Tali:' When do we get to stop reacting to our parents and start living for ourselves? *'Shepard:' The answer to that one is at the bottom of that glass. *'Tali:' I might need help with the induction straw... port... you know... *'Shepard:' Here's to Miranda! *'Tali:' Nice job, you genetically perfect Cerberus cheerleader, bosh'tet! Keelah se'lai! ─────── Shepard and Wrex *'Wrex': Now, Shepard. What brings you here Tuchanka? How's the Normandy? *'Shepard:' Destroyed in a Collector surprise attack. I ended up spaced. *'Wrex:' Well, you look good. Ah, the benefits of a redundant nervous system! *'Shepard:' Yeah, humans don't have that. *'Wrex': Oh. It must've been painful, then. Shepard, Jack and Miranda * Jack: Touch me, and I'll smear the walls with you, bitch! * Shepard: Enough! Stand down, both of you! * Jack: The cheerleader won't admit what Cerberus did to me was wrong! * Miranda: It wasn't Cerberus. Not really. But, clearly, you were a mistake. * Jack: Screw you! You have no idea what they put me through! Maybe it's time I showed you! * Shepard: This mission's too important to let personal feelings get in the way! * Jack: Fuck your feelings! I just want her dead! * Shepard: You all know what we're up against. Save your anger for the Collectors. * Miranda: I can put my differences aside...until the mission's over. * Jack: Sure, I'll do my part. I'd hate to see her die before I get a chance to filet her myself! Category:MarkRulez711 Category:Articles by MarkRulez711